Debate contribution: Tackling the Financial and Societal Impacts of Division

Debate contribution by Mr Brian Kingston on 25 March 2025.

MLA

Mr Brian Kingston

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

25 March 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Tackling the Financial and Societal Impacts of Division

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4866917

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I rise to make a winding-up speech in support of the DUP amendment that was proposed by Diane Forsythe. As Diane said, the DUP is committed to supporting a shared future for all in Northern Ireland and to tackling division. However, that needs to be done with communities and not be imposed from afar by people who have no involvement on the ground. Diane pointed out that the wording in the Alliance Party's motion misrepresents the Ulster University report from 2016: the extra cost of public services in Northern Ireland, then calculated to be between £400 million and £800 million, was due to a range of factors not just community divisions. Diane pointed out that we should aim to make efficiency savings where possible across public services, and she gave some examples. It is important to ensure the accessibility of public services, particularly for vulnerable people in our most economically disadvantaged areas. The Fiscal Council has an important role to play, and it should be placed on a statutory footing. Eóin Tennyson proposed the motion and acknowledged that addressing division is harder than talking about it. I was disappointing that, more than once, he spoke about segregated schools. That is lazy and disrespectful language from the Alliance Party. I hope that it will move away from such divisive labelling. Many of our grammar schools and controlled schools are as varied in their enrolment as many schools in the so-called integrated sector. The vast majority are involved in shared education initiatives and local area learning communities. Colin McGrath made a cheerful contribution. He said that it was not for the Opposition to help to deliver the Executive's agenda in the Programme for Government, but I hope that they will find some things that they can support on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland. He complained about some examples from Belfast City Council, but he did not mention SDLP councillors voting through the provision of Irish street signs even where a majority of residents are against them, or their voting against the armed forces covenant in support of our armed forces veterans. Declan Kearney bemoaned the principle of consent, which Sinn Féin signed up to in the Belfast Agreement, but he highlighted the annual subsidy to Northern Ireland from Westminster of over £18 billion. Steve Aiken, in replying to Declan Kearney, said that terrorism and killings during the Troubles were an enduring cause of division. He also spoke about the need for efficiency in public services, including in education. He said that we should be working for economic cooperation for our benefit on a UK-wide basis and a North/South basis, and he promoted a single education system. Nuala McAllister acknowledged that division was one of the causes of extra cost in Northern Ireland and highlighted the need for more support for mental health services. Michelle Guy said that the school system is in need of reform. Timothy Gaston spoke about the divisive impact of the imposition of Irish language street signs and the resultant damage being done to community relations, particularly in mixed areas and mixed streets of Belfast. The Finance Minister said that the cost of policing and justice is notably higher in Northern Ireland than elsewhere, but, in many other respects, our costs are similar to those in rural areas of the mainland. He said that we need to reduce division by building relations across these islands as well as in Northern Ireland, and that the transformation of our public services is the best way in which to reduce costs. He also spoke about the important role of the Fiscal Council. I did not note anything productive in what Mark Durkan said. I commend our amendment to the House.

625 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Uncertain: close call Education structures, integration and community division

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:11 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification